Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Raleigh, NC – A bi-partisan bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly aims to make playtime safer for kids. The Toxic Free Kids Act (H 1187) would ban the use of several toxic chemicals in toys, baby bottles and other products intended for infants and children.

Rep. Pricey Harrison, who introduced the bill, will hold a press conference at the Children's Garden near the NC General Assembly Wednesday morning. The press conference will immediately follow the Toxic Free Kids Olympics, an event sponsored by NC MomsRising, in which families will play games highlighting the various toxic chemicals lurking in everyday children’s products.

"This bill addresses a serious problem which Congress has failed to resolve,” Rep. Harrison said. “There are tens of thousands of untested chemicals on the market today. We can’t allow chemical companies to treat our children’s health like some laboratory experiment.”

The Toxic Free Kids Act would ban the use of Tris flame retardants, bisphenol A and phthalates in children’s products. Tris flame retardants are known to cause cancer and were banned from children’s pajamas in the 1970’s, but are still used widely in products like nursing pillows, crib mattresses and car seats. Bisphenol A mimics estrogen and has been implicated as a trigger for a variety of disorders ranging from diabetes to cancer. Phthalates also disrupt hormonal function, and are associated with male birth defects, thyroid disorders and male reproductive problems.

The bill is endorsed by several health, safety and environmental organizations across the state, including:

Toxic Free NC fights pesticide pollution in North Carolina by advocating for common-sense alternatives that protect our health and environment. We are an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization -- North Carolina’s only organization working to put people before pesticides.